Igniting device



No. 609,749. Patented Aug. 23

A. J. STERNE.

IGNITING DEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 609,749. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

A. J. STERNE.

IGNITING DEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2.

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ALFRED J. STERNE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY-ONE ONE- HUNDREDTHS TO HENRY ZUOKERMAN, LOUIS B. ROLSTON, AND WIL- LIAM H. ROLSTON, OF SAME PLACE, AND W. ALEXANDER BASS, OF LITTLE SILVER, AND EDWIN S. HOOLEY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

IGNITING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,749, dated August 23, 1898. Application filed December 27, 1897. Serial No. 663,588- (No model.)

To ztZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. STERNE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Igniting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gasigniting devices; and its object is to provide a device of this character which shall be certain and efiective in its operation and shall not deteriorate by'repeated and continued use.

In that class of gas-igniting devices wherein r 5 the ignition is effected by the action of finelydivided platinum it has been found that if the platinum is allowed to remain for any considerable length of time in contact with the gas-flame it loses its igniting power. To obviate this difficulty, it has been proposed to ignite an auxiliary flame or igniter, which in turn ignites the principal flame or jet-and is then extinguished.

In order to maintain the platinum igniter in effective condition without recourse to any such complication of devices as is entailed by the means heretofore used for this purpose, I arrange the igniting device so that it is movable into and out of proximity to the jet or burner-tip and is adapted to fall or move antomatically away from the gas -jet. With such a device the platinum igniter may be brought into operation only at the moment when it is desired to light the gas, and this having been eifected it can be immediately removed or allowed to fall away from the gasflame, and thereby protect it from the action of the flame A further feature of my invention relates to the extension of the igniting-surface of the platinum igniter. It has been found that while the generation of the heat necessary for ignition requires a mass containing or consisting of finely-divided platinum the com- 5 munication of this heat to the jet of gas so as to ignite it is besteffected by a wire of metallic platinum extending from the mass of divided platinum to the immediate vicinity of the burner-tip or jet. Moreover, in order that this wire should act in the most efficient and certain manner it is necessary that it should lie in such relation to the jet of issuing gas as to be in contact with both gas and air simultaneously, or, in other words, that it should be in a plane or place Where the air and gas meet, the air being on one side and the gas on the other. It is obvious that the adjustment of the wire to this exact position would be a very delicate and difficult matter, and owing to the constantly-changing conditions, such as drafts of air or slight bending of the parts, the chances Will be very much against its occupying the right position for any considerable time. I find, however, that by using a plurality of wires each incontact 65 with the porous mass, consisting of or containing finely-divided platinum, it is possible I to always insure the presence of one or another of these wires in the igniting-zone of the jet when the igniting device is brought into operation.

In order that the fine platinum wires shall be permanently retained in proper relation and not be bent out of place by reason of their Weakness and flexibility, I support them by 75 stringing or stretching them over a frame, and they are preferably stretched in a direction substantially parallel with the plane of the gas-jet, so that when the wires are brought up over the jet one or other of the wires will be sure to lie in the igniting-zone of the jetthat is, the plane where there is the proper mixture of gas and air to inflame on contact with the red-hot wire,

The occluding body or mass containing 85 finely-divided or porous platinum is also supported on said frame and is in contact with the plurality of Wires at a plurality of points, the operation of the device bringing this body, together with the Wire, into the proximity of the jet, so that the zone of mixture of gas and air will include not only one or more of the wires, but also the said occluding body This body will then begin to heat, but it will not heat uniformly all over. Experience 5 shows that the heating starts up in spots and slowly creeps from one spot to another, probably on account of the movements of the gases in the jet, as only a certain mixture of the gas and air gives the incandescing effect. It has also been found that the occluding porous body cannot of itself ignite the jet, or at least with. any certainty, and that it is necessary to provide a solid metallic mass, such as a wire, which takes up the heat-from the occluding mass and itself ignites the gas. This wire in order to be always operative must always be in contact with an incandescing part of the occluding mass, and to this end I use a plurality of wires making contact with the said mass at a plurality of points, extending, in fact, over substantially all of the part thereof liable to be exposed to the active mixture of gas and air at any time in the operation.

With such an arrangement ignition must and.

does unavoidably ensue in so short an interval after movement of the device into operative position as to be practically instantaneous.

In applying my invention to the ignition of incandescent gas-lights I find that it is not necessary to use a special igniting wire or wires, but that ignition can be obtained by bringing the mass of platinized material in direct contact with the mantle of the incandescent gas-light. viously been marked upon or treated with a suitable platinum-bearing material or mass,

so as to leave a platinized streak thereon, then when the platinized igniting-body is brought in to contact with this streak incandescence will at once spring up at the point of contact and will travel along the streak,

and in a very short time the gas will become.

ignited. In this case the contact of the igniting-body seems to revivify the streak on the mantle after the latter has previously been subjected to the action of the gas-flame for a long-continued time.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Fig-1 ure 1 is an elevation of a gas-burner with my improved igniting device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the device. Fig. 4 shows the block of igniting material separately. Fig.

5 shows my invention applied to an incandescent gas-burner.

gas-fixture, having cock B and tip 0. To this fixture is attached a support D, on which is pivoted a lever E, which by means of a chain F or other suitable device may be operated so as to bring the upper end of said lever into proximity to the burner-tip or to remove it or allow it to fall away therefrom.

G is a mass or body of igniting material containing or consisting of finely-divided platinum or platinized material, the same being preferably a porous platinized block of about the shape indicated in Fig. 4. This block G of igniting material is supported in the upper end of lever E, preferably by being inserted in a socket e on said lever and fastened with If the mantle has pre a suitable cement, (indicated at e,) the said block G projecting from the socket, as shown.

A plurality of fine platinum wires p are strung or otherwise supported on arms h h, projecting from the lever E, and these wires pass over and in contact with the block G. Said wires are secured firmly in place on said arms, as byresting in notches therein, as indicated in Fig. 3, and being stretched across and supported at both ends are not liable to accidental displacement. The wires are strung in parallelism to the plane of the jet for the reason above stated, and they make contact with the occluding body G at a corresponding plurality of points. The end of the wire is, however, crossed over the others, as indicated in Fig. 3, and this has the beneficial effect of transmitting the heat from one Wire to another, giving more rapid ignition.

By drawing down the chain F the lever E may be turned up, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to cause the block or mass of igniting material to come in proximity to the gas-jet, whereupon if the gas has been turned on the said mass of igniting material will quickly become incandescent. This incandescence is communicated to the wire 19, and owing to the number of these wires and the comparatively large space over which they are distributed one or the other of them will traverse or lie within the plane or zone where the gas meets with or is mixing with the air, such zone being indicated by dotted lines .2, Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 the lever E is supported 011 the burner-fixture A in such manner as to be capable of bringing the igniting mass or body G at its upper end into contact with the mantle M, preferably at the lower end thereof. The platinum wire 19 may in this case be omitted.

S indicates the streak, which has been marked or otherwise produced upon the mantle M by the application thereto of platinumbearing material or by otherwise platinizing that portion of the mantle. When the gas is turned on, the action of this platinized streak will not in general be of itself sufficient to light the gas, on account of the effect of the previous exposure of same to the action of the gas-flame; but by bringing the igniting-body In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the burner or G into contact with this streak the point of contact is rendered incandescent, and the incandescence rapidly travels along the streak and causes ignition of the gas.

My invention therefore eifects the protection of the igniting mass or body from the action of th'e flame by causing it to be removed from the proximity of the flame as soon as ignition has been effected. For this purpose the lever may be made to draw away by its own weight, as indicated, or by a spring or in any other suitable way.

I prefer to form the igniting block or body G in the following manner: About equal proportions of sand and pulverized asbestos are incorporated with a sufficient quantity of a saturated solution of platinic chlorid to bring the mass to the consistency of putty. The mixture is then formed into small pellets, wrapped tightly with asbestos fiber, and fine platinum wire wound around it. The resulting block is dried and then dipped in a dilute solution of platinic chlorid and again thoroughly dried. The platinic chlorid is then reduced to metallic platinum in any suitable manner.

In Fig. 4, 1" indicates the platinum wire, wound over the asbestos-fiber wrapping l, which is shown as broken away at one place to show the inner core or pellet 9.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with a burner, of an igniting device therefor consisting of an igniting-body containing finely-divided platinum, a plurality of fine wires in contact with said body at a plurality of separate points, and a movable support carrying saidignitingbody and Wires and adapted to move same into or out of proximity to the burner.

2. The combination with a burner, of an igniting device therefor consisting of an igniting-body containing finely-divided platinum, a movable supporting-frame carrying said body and adapted to move same into and out of proximity to the burner, and a plurality of fine platinum wires strung over the frame and over the said igniting-body and contacting with said body at a plurality of points.

3. The combination with a burner of an igniting device therefor consisting of an igniting-body containing finely-divided platinum, a movable supporting-frame carrying said body and adapted to move same into and out of proximity to the burner, and a plurality of fine platinum wires strung over the frame in parallelism with the jet to be ignited and over the said igniting-body and contacting with said body at a plurality of points.

4:. The combination with a burner, apivoted supporting-frame having two arms, a plurality of fine platinum wires strung over said arms, and an igniting-body supported by said frame and having the said wires strung over it so as to contact with different portions thereof, the said supporting-frame being movable to bring the igniting-body into or out of proximity to the burner.

5. An igniting-body for use in gas-igniters, consisting of a mass composed of sand, pulverized asbestos and reduced platinum, a wrapping of fibrous asbestos surrounding said mass and platinum wire wound over said Wrapping.

ALFRED J. STERNE.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. KNIGHT, JEROME S. GOLDSMITH. 

